B.G. Burkett: Navy Commanders to Cast Doubt on Kerry's War Record

NewsMax.com ^ | 4/04/04 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

[kattracks]

B.G. Burkett: Navy Commanders to Cast Doubt on Kerry's War Record

Several Navy officers who supervised Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry when he commanded a swift boat in Vietnam are preparing to publicly question his war record - including the circumstances under which he was awarded three Purple Hearts - a noted Vietnam War historian revealed on Sunday.

Burkett, whose 1999 book, "Stolen Valor," is considered to be the definitive history of of falsified Vietnam War claims, told WABC Radio's Steve Malzberg that Kerry's former commanders would allege that the top Democrat's Purple Hearts were awarded for "self-reported injuries that were virtually nonexistent."

"He never got a day of treatment, he never spent a day in a medical facility," Burkett said. "These were all self-reported wounds, which you're going to hear from some swift boat guys in the future as to the nature of those wounds."

Burkett said he had personally spoken to the Navy commanders who were preparing to go public about Kerry's decorations.

"You're going to get quite a showing [of those speaking out]," Burkett told Malzberg. "I don't know [the number] yet. They're trying to get it to be unanimous of every swift boat guy who ever served."

As to the timetable for the upcoming revelations, Burkett said that Kerry's superior officers "were still discussing that."

"You've got some major rallys being planned against John Kerry by Vietnam veterans on the mall, at the convention - this type of thing," he said. "And we're going to make America aware of John Kerry's military record."

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[Fury]

I have no respect for folks that falsify their records and/or embellish their military service.

I think this is the guy who did research on some vets and confronted them on camera. It was sad in a way to watch these grown men leqarn that the gig was up, but when folks claim medals and service they did not earn and/or perform, that's wrong and deserves disclosure.

[Fury]

FOIA requests will give basic information. IIRC, Burkett describes the process, etc. in "Stolen Valor". Burkett did hundreds of these in preparing his book.

In order to make this claim, he would have to have more than results from a basic FOIA.

I was wondering about this as well. You don't get a whole lot of info with the FOIA request.

Used to be that when you got out of the service that they would recommend you take your DD Form 214 and have the county Clerk where you lived enter it as a miscellaneous record. But DD Form 214's can be faked. What's worse is that when I went in to get a copy of my DD214 in 2003, the clerk was telling me that these types of records are no longer open to the public - too many problems with identity theft, etc. So I think that makes investigation a bit more difficult.

[Bob]

I could be wrong about this, but I think you can buy medals. In fact I have never seen medals issued, only ribbons.

Unless things have changed along the way, the ribbon and its associated medal are awarded at the same time. Replacements for either are the individual's responsibility to buy.

[findingtruth]

Remember the photo of Kerry and Ted Kennedy walking around a Viet Nam camp? How would a 4 month newbie arrange such a meeting if he wasn't extremely well connected going in? And he WAS connected.

No, I had never heard of that. Maybe that helps explain the Silver Star. Kerry was being taken care of.

[findingtruth]

A wounded VC, BTW, one previously hit by a at least one 50 cal. round from the swift boat's M2. I'm trying to imagine that VC being ANY kind of a threat, being ANYthing other than an ambulatory corpse, and I just can't.

In addition to which, having already fired his rocket, the man was effectively disarmed. Of course once he got into the hooch, the man could have grabbed an AK. In that case, Kerry would have been fully justified in shooting him, but I am skeptical. At any rate, this is hardly Silver Star stuff.

[hresources]

As a Vietnam Vet. and retired Army Command Sergeant Major I always knew something was fishy about his awards. What kind of Officer dedicated to his men etc. takes a hike out of country after only four months because of three scratches?

[hresources]

"Bob" Kerry was the former Seal. That Kerry really did see some action., Not like the phoney "John" Kerry.

[Billie]

Thanks for the ping to this, 45Man. I'm sure we'll be hearing about this all over the major network shows, hmmmmmm? And of course in all the newsmags, and the newspapers.

Oh, wait, I guess not - they're talking bad about kerry- it's not the President they're bashing. The media only loves to give airtime to those authors who are trashing our President.

[onedoug]

Sorry, but this may backfire and earn Kerry sympathy that will translate into votes in his column.

You're probably right.

I strongly suspect that he "won" the Silver Star for MURDERING a wounded combatant whom he should have taken prisoner.

Yet given the disgust with which the major media holds the military, they'd more likely push for him to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for that one.

[wingman1]

A law was passed in my state (could be a Federal law?) where the county clerk has to give you your records back if you make a request.

Even the DD 214s have errors in them.

[wingman1]

It's easy to buy medals. I know Silver Stars are available, but am not sure about DSC or MOH.

They busted a guy here for impersonating an officer - he was supposed to be an Army Chaplain (rank of Captain) out of Ft. Campbell, and Special Forces. Somebody smarter than him noticed something not quite right about certain medals he was wearing.

A friend of mine told me this guy used to give motivational speeches to large audiences. "I was holding little Jimmy in my arms, as he was dying, and he asked me to tell his wife he loves her..." My friend said that he was brought to tears by this faker during one of his speeches.

Anyway, he had to appear in Federal Court and got a good deal of press for his apology. To top it off he HAD served in RVN as an engineer, and should have been proud of that in itself.

[razorback-bert]

being ANYthing other than an ambulatory corpse

Don't you have to hack the head off the living dead to kill them, which is what Kerry claimed was happening.

[T. Buzzard Trueblood]

Most people don't come back and keep saying over and over again what great heroes they are.

Very, very true. Whenever I've had the priviledge to speak with combat veterans, they're almost always humble, and even self-effacing about their service. Whether Kerry's heroism is authentic or not, his bragging about his heroism is in poor taste.

Oh, and his voting record kind of stinks, too...

[U S Army EOD]

Maybe the VC was a Republican. Kerry would have rewarded himself for that.

[Indie]

I think the injury that occurred when his head and face were destroyed by a moving swift boat while he was swimming was real as well. His plastic surgeon should be sued for malpractice.

[Quix]

THEY ARE UNWISE

to telegraph their plans.

Powers that be toward silencing are tooooo potent.

LET US PRAY AGAINST THEIR BEING SILENCED!

[Quix]

PRAISE GOD! THANK YOU LORD!

PLEASE PROTECT THEM AND PROTECT THEIR SPEAKING OUT.

Please cause it to come about in the most dramatic way and the most impactful time, in Jesus' Name!

[secretagent]

Burkett bump. Doesn't smell like a winner to me, but Burkett has tremendous credits.

[DakotaGator]

Kerry's whole purpose for Swiftboat Service in Vietnam was to pull a John F. Kennedy. Specifically, get lots of medals for dubious actions and parley that into political power.

Kerry needed three Purple Hearts as his "Get Out of Combat Free" card. So he got three Purple Hearts. He needed heroism medals for publicity. So he got those also. Then as soon as he was back stateside he pulled another sneaky trick to swing an early discharge by virtue of a bogus run for Congress. All according to regulations. All wrong!

The stench reeking from this pompous cowardly jackass taints all who served honorably.

[.45MAN]

We have to continue to believe that e-mailing articles to people who are conservative will spread the word. If they in turn send it out to others and so on the the news will get out in spite of the liberal media..